Hearing Children Research Articles

The impact of screen exposure among school-aged children in South India during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey

BackgroundThe impact of excessive screen time with personal listening devices (PLDs) on vision, hearing, balance, and overall health among adults has been reported in the literature. However, its impact on children is not well documented. A survey was undertaken to highlight the possible effects of screen time combined with transducers on vision, hearing, balance, and overall health complaints in children via parental proxy. This cross-sectional survey consisted of questions divided into four domains: vision, hearing, balance, and overall health. It was conducted online using social media to avail total maximum responses.ResultsA total of 136 responses were obtained from the parents of children studying from grade 1 to 8 through the survey conducted in south India. Increased negative impact on vision was observed in more than 50% of children. Similarly, the hearing and balance domain reported 16% ear pain, 4.4% tinnitus, 9.6% dizziness, 8.8% nausea, and 2.2% imbalance while walking. Likewise, the overall stress domain reported 26.5% general body discomfort, 37.5% neck pain and stiffness, 29.4% headaches, 43.4% lack of concentration, 39.7% overall changes in child’s health and 46.3% behavioral issues with various severity markings (slight to severe).ConclusionsLonger periods of screen exposure have various negative impacts on vision, hearing, balance system, and overall health. These effects have to be managed for the health of our children.

Development of literacy skills for Japanese deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

We compared the reading development of 77 deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) Japanese children, aged 5-7 (40 females), with 139 of their hearing peers (74 females) in 2018. We assessed each group's phonological awareness (PA), grammar, vocabulary, and reading of hiragana (Japanese orthography children learn first). DHH children showed significant delays in grammar and vocabulary but only a slight delay in PA. Younger DHH children scored better than their hearing peers in reading. Although PA predicted reading for hearing children, reading predicted PA for DHH children. PA partially explained grammar skills for both groups. The results suggest educational intervention for reading acquisition should be based on not only general linguistic features but also each language's unique characteristics.

The participation of deaf and hard of hearing children in non-formal science activities

Non-formal education is an important resource to foster scientific competence for active and responsible citizenship. However, these spaces do not always have the necessary requirements for everyone to access and participate. Therefore, with the intention of contributing to the creation of barrier-free spaces, the present study aims to identify the most appropriate psycho-pedagogical supports for the design and implementation of a scientific activity for a group of deaf and hard of hearing children. To achieve this objective, an instrumental case study was employed. The results, obtained through direct observation, satisfaction questionnaires, and interviews, show great interest among the children and both the sign interpreters accompanying the sessions and the organizers from the association assessed the activity in a positive light. These results also point to the need for spaces that could initially be controlled and that might strengthen the expectations among the participants and their families of participation in similar initiatives within more heterogeneous groups.

Acquisition of Pragmatic Skills in Paediatric Cochlear Implant Users.

Pragmatic language skills are one of the most complex language skills. Children with hearing loss face difficulty in social participation and effective communication during mainstreaming. Without mastery of these skills, children may encounter significant challenges with abstract conversational communication and literacy. This study aimed to explore the age and pattern of acquisition of pragmatic skills in hearing-impaired children. Twelve (12) children with Cochlear Implants (CI) in the age range of 5 to 10years with minimum 1-year post-implantation regular therapy and twelve (12) age-matched normal hearing children participated in the study. All participants were administered the 'Test of Pragmatic Skills' (Shulman, 1986) comprising different domains of pragmatics. Their responses were rated on a six-point rating scale from 0 to 5. A qualitative analysis of various domains revealed that paediatric cochlear implant users used varied pragmatic skills at approximately 3years on average during the post-implantation period compared to the typically developing children who acquired the skills well below 3 years on average. Pragmatics is very well correlated to the child's cognition; hence, the higher the cognitive age, the earlier the acquisition of pragmatic skills. The results prove that pragmatic skills developed proportionately to their implant age but need to be at par with their cognitive age. Rehabilitation of CI children, thus, should levy heavy focus on varied pragmatic domains, which will facilitate contextually appropriate communication at the earliest possible time during the post-implantation period.

Common Sounds Audiograms: Quantitative Analyses and Recommendations.

A counseling tool routinely used by pediatric audiologists and early intervention-specialists is the often-named "common sounds audiogram" (CSA). Typically, a child's hearing detection thresholds are plotted on the CSA to indicate that child's audibility of speech and environmental sounds. Importantly, the CSA may be the first item that parents see when their child's hearing loss is explained. Thus, the accuracy of the CSA and its associated counseling information are integral to the parents' understanding of what their child can hear and to the parents' role in the child's future hearing care and interventions. Currently available CSAs were collected from professional societies, early intervention providers, device manufacturers, etc., and analyzed ( n = 36). Analysis included quantification of sound elements, presence of counseling information, attribution of acoustic measurements, and errors. The analyses show that currently-available CSAs are wildly inconsistent as a group, not scientifically justified, and omit important information for counseling and interpretation. Variations found among currently available CSAs can lead to very different parental interpretations of the impact of a child's hearing loss on his/her access to sounds, especially spoken language. Such variations, presumably, could also lead to different recommendations regarding intervention and hearing devices. Recommendations are outlined for the development of a new, standard CSA.

Extending the High-Frequency Bandwidth and Predicting Speech-in-Noise Recognition: Building on the Work of Pat Stelmachowicz.

Recent work has demonstrated that high-frequency (>6 kHz) and extended high-frequency (EHF; >8 kHz) hearing is valuable for speech-in-noise recognition. Several studies also indicate that EHF pure-tone thresholds predict speech-in-noise performance. These findings contradict the broadly accepted "speech bandwidth" that has historically been limited to below 8 kHz. This growing body of work is a tribute to the work of Pat Stelmachowicz, whose research was instrumental in revealing the limitations of the prior speech bandwidth work, particularly for female talkers and child listeners. Here, we provide a historical review that demonstrates how the work of Stelmachowicz and her colleagues paved the way for subsequent research to measure effects of extended bandwidths and EHF hearing. We also present a reanalysis of previous data collected in our lab, the results of which suggest that 16-kHz pure-tone thresholds are consistent predictors of speech-in-noise performance, regardless of whether EHF cues are present in the speech signal. Based on the work of Stelmachowicz, her colleagues, and those who have come afterward, we argue that it is time to retire the notion of a limited speech bandwidth for speech perception for both children and adults.

Speech perception and deaf and hard of hearing children in the classroom: A multidisciplinary effort in the United States to bring data and standards to architects, school districts, and into building codes

This presentation will discuss efforts by a multidisciplinary team to overcome the notable lack of progress in the United States in acoustic accommodations for deaf and hard of hearing children in the classroom. Data collected through research efforts by members of this team, and by others, demonstrate the benefits of appropriate acoustics for all children and especially those deaf and hard of hearing. These efforts have resulted in a voluntary standard in classroom acoustics specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children by the American National Standards Institute. This standard, however, is not reaching built classrooms. This team representing the fields of acoustics, architecture and audiology is using speech perception data and new computer simulations to increase awareness of the need for classroom acoustic standards in building codes to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing children.

HUMANIST LAW: LAW ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY AGAINST CHILD PERSONS OF CRIME IN INDONESIA

This article examines and analyzes law enforcement in criminal acts committed by children. Law enforcement has always been preoccupied with general and conventional crimes committed by adults. In fact, along with the development of society and technology, several criminal cases have been committed by children. Considering that children need protection to grow and develop optimally, children who commit crimes must be given special treatment in terms of procedural law, criminal threats, and fulfillment of childrens rights, which are different from adults. This research is normative and empirical juridical research with a socio-legal approach. Primary data collection was carried out by interviewing sources determined through the snowball technique, while secondary data collection was carried out by library research. The collected data is then processed through the stages of checking, tagging, compiling, and systematizing. The data that has been processed is then analyzed interactively, which consists of description activities and data reflection.Challenges to law enforcement against perpetrators of criminal acts in Indonesia include the high tendency to detain and imprison children, violations of childrens right to a fair trial, and the demands of prosecutors and judges decisions are still dominated by prison sentences.The strategy for law enforcement against child perpetrators of mass crimes is based on a humanist legal approach through issuing sentencing guidelines and adopting the concept of children hearing system, optimizing the role of the police in implementing diversion, and optimizing community participation in child protection.

Comparison of Diagnostic Profiles of Deaf and Hearing Children with a Diagnosis of Autism.

There is limited research comparing the presentation of autism in deaf and hearing children and young people. These comparisons are important to facilitate accurate diagnosis, as rates of misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis amongst deaf children and young people are high. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic assessment profiles of a UK cohort of autistic deaf and hearing children and young people. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised-Deaf adaptation was completed with the parents of 106 children and young people (deaf children = 65; hearing children = 41). The majority of items explored showed no significant differences between deaf and hearing children and young people. Differences were found in peer relationships, where autistic deaf participants were less likely to respond to the approaches of other children or play imaginatively with peers. These findings need to be taken into consideration by clinicians in the assessment process.

Brainstem auditory physiology in children with listening difficulties,

Children who have listening difficulties (LiD) despite having normal audiometry are often diagnosed as having an auditory processing disorder. A lack of evidence regarding involvement of specific auditory mechanisms has limited development of effective treatments for these children. Here, we examined electrophysiologic evidence for brainstem pathway mechanisms in children with and without defined LiD. We undertook a prospective controlled study of 132 children aged 6–14 years with normal pure tone audiometry, grouped into LiD (n = 63) or Typically Developing (TD; n = 69) based on scores on the Evaluation of Children's Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS), a validated caregiver report. The groups were matched on age at test, sex, race, and ethnicity. Neither group had diagnoses of major neurologic disorder, intellectual disability, or brain injuries. Both groups received a test battery including a measure of receptive speech perception against distractor speech, Listening in Spatialized Noise - Sentences (LiSN-S), along with multiple neurophysiologic measures that tap afferent and efferent auditory subcortical pathways. Group analysis showed that participants with LiD performed significantly poorer on all subtests of the LiSN-S. The LiD group had significantly greater wideband middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR) growth functions in the left ear, and shorter Wave III and Wave V latencies in auditory brainstem responses (ABR). Across individual participants, shorter latency ABR Wave V correlated significantly with poorer parent report of LiD (ECLiPS composite). Greater MEMR growth functions also correlated with poorer ECLiPS scores and reduced LiSN-S talker advantage. The LiD and TD groups had equivalent summating potentials, compound action potentials, envelope-following responses, and binaurally activated medial olivocochlear reflexes. In conclusion, there was no evidence for auditory synaptopathy for LiD. Evidence for brainstem differences in the LiD group was interpreted as increased central gain, with shorter ABR Wave III and V latencies and steeper MEMR growth curves. These differences were related to poorer parent report and speech perception in competing speech ability.

What Are Parents' Experiences With Their Child's Hearing Aid Use in the First 5 Years?

Parents are required to make informed choices for their children regarding the use of hearing amplification after hearing loss has been diagnosed. If parents choose a listening and spoken language approach for their child where the development of age appropriate spoken language is the parents' goal, then the early fitting and frequent use of hearing aids is crucial. Within the framework of family centered care, parents have the ultimate responsibility for supporting their child's hearing aid use. However, few studies have focused on parents' insights regarding the aspects that shape hearing aid use in the early years. Thus the aim of this study was to explore parents' firsthand experiences with their child's hearing aid use in the first 5 years. Understanding parents' insights will help improve service provision to optimize outcomes for children with hearing loss. The study utilized a prospective qualitative design to explore parents' firsthand experiences with their child's hearing aid use. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 parents who participated in semi-structured interviews. Parents' responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were conceptualized, namely: (a) towards hearing aids - journey into the wilderness; (b) adjusting to hearing aids - it's the journey, not the destination; and (c) support for my child's hearing aid use - it's not where you are going, it's who you have beside you. Each theme was further divided into categories and subcategories. This study identified that parents have much to contribute to service providers' understanding regarding the aspects that shape consistent hearing aid use in young children. Parents shared many insights such as the emotionally daunting nature of the first few months post hearing loss confirmation, the influence of family support, and the importance of building connections and understanding about hearing loss and hearing aid use within their social networks. Based on these insights, the authors provide recommendations for clinical best practice that draw upon key principles of family centered care. They consist of practical suggestions including strategic support to overcome less optimal hearing aid use and ways to facilitate parent support within their familial and communal networks.

Long-term outcome of vestibular function and hearing in children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a prospective cohort study

PurposeCongenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is the most frequent nonhereditary cause for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. Data on vestibular function in children with cCMV are, however, scarce, although some evidence for cCMV-associated vestibular dysfunction exists. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated long-term vestibular function and hearing outcomes in a cohort of children with cCMV.MethodsParticipants were 6–7-year-old children with cCMV from a large population-based screening study. Controls were age and gender matched healthy children, who were CMV-negative at birth. Hearing was examined with pure tone audiometry. Definition of hearing loss was pure-tone average > 20 dB. Vestibular function was assessed using the video head impulse test that provides a measure of semicircular canal function. Definition of vestibular dysfunction was lateral semicircular canal gain < 0.75.ResultsVestibular dysfunction occurred in 7/36 (19.4%) of children with cCMV and in 1/31 (3.2%) of controls (p = 0.060). SNHL was recorded in 4/38 (10.5%) of children with cCMV and in 0/33 of controls (p = 0.118). Hearing loss was unilateral in all cases. In cCMV group, the two children with bilateral vestibular dysfunction also had SNHL, whereas those with unilateral vestibular dysfunction (n = 5) had normal hearing.ConclusionsIn this cohort of children with cCMV identified using newborn screening, vestibular dysfunction was more common than SNHL at 6 years of age. Vestibular dysfunction occurred both in children with and without SNHL. Based on these data, inclusion of vestibular tests in follow-up protocol of cCMV should be considered.

Hearing Thresholds, Speech Recognition, and Audibility as Indicators for Modifying Intervention in Children With Hearing Aids.

The purpose of this study was to determine if traditional audiologic measures (e.g., pure-tone average, speech recognition) and audibility-based measures predict risk for spoken language delay in children who are hard of hearing (CHH) who use hearing aids (HAs). Audibility-based measures included the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), HA use, and auditory dosage, a measure of auditory access that weighs each child's unaided and aided audibility by the average hours of HA use per day. The authors also sought to estimate values of these measures at which CHH would be at greater risk for delayed outcomes compared with a group of children with typical hearing (CTH) matched for age and socioeconomic status, potentially signaling a need to make changes to a child's hearing technology or intervention plan. The authors compared spoken language outcomes of 182 CHH and 78 CTH and evaluated relationships between language and audiologic measures (e.g., aided SII) in CHH using generalized additive models. They used these models to identify values associated with falling below CTH (by > 1.5 SDs from the mean) on language assessments, putting CHH at risk for language delay. Risk for language delay was associated with aided speech recognition in noise performance (<59% phonemes correct, 95% confidence interval [55%, 62%]), aided Speech Intelligibility Index (SII < 0.61, 95% confidence internal [.53,.68]), and auditory dosage (dosage < 6.0, 95% confidence internal [5.3, 6.7]) in CHH. The level of speech recognition in quiet, unaided pure-tone average, and unaided SII that placed children at risk for language delay could not be determined due to imprecise estimates with broad confidence intervals. Results support using aided SII, aided speech recognition in noise measures, and auditory dosage as tools to facilitate clinical decision-making, such as deciding whether changes to a child's hearing technology are warranted. Values identified in this article can complement other metrics (e.g., unaided hearing thresholds, aided speech recognition testing, language assessment) when considering changes to intervention, such as adding language supports, making HA adjustments, or referring for cochlear implant candidacy evaluation.

Assessing the hearing of children exposed to zika virus with an initially normal newborn hearing screen: a longitudinal cohort study

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can result in hearing loss in babies, consequently, audiological monitoring is necessary. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of hearing impairment in neonates and children exposed to ZIKV during the intrauterine period. Materials and methods A cohort of 30 children born to mothers infected with ZIKV during pregnancy (March 2016–January 2017) underwent repeated hearing assessments performed 48 h after birth. Universal Newborn Hearing Screening revealed normal results in all children at 6, 13, 24, and 36 months. Children were divided into two subgroups based on real-time polymerase chain reaction: RT-PCR(+) and RT-PCR(-). Results At 24 months, the cumulative incidence of hearing alteration was 57.1%. There was no significant difference in the detection of hearing alteration between RT-PCR(+) and (-) groups. None of the children had sensorineural hearing loss; Conclusions and significance None of the children had sensorineural hearing loss. Total incidence conductive type (per 1000 live births), RT-PCR ZIKV (-) 2.2, prevalence 20% and RT-PCR ZIKV 3.1, prevalence 35.7%.The incidence of hearing alteration was highest at 24 months of age (57.1%, n = 8; only conductive type).

Chinese Grammatical Development of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in a Sign Bilingualism and Coenrollment Program.

The literacy development of d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) children has always been a matter of grave concern among educators, and grammatical knowledge is said to constitute a major component such development. The present article reports on a study that examined the development of Chinese grammar among groups of d/Dhh and hearing children who received education through a sign bilingualism and coenrollment (SLCO) approach. Findings from administration of a prestandardized assessment tool showed that while the d/Dhh children generally lagged behind their hearing peers at all levels, the gap began to narrow from Primary 2 onward, and they caught up with their hearing peers in most except for a few grammatical constructions by Primary 4. Qualitative analysis revealed a similar developmental profile and similar degrees of difficulty in mastering the more complex constructions in written Chinese between the two groups of children.

Balance Recovery Strategy in Children With and Without Hearing or Visual Impairments.

The purpose of this study was to examine the balance recovery strategy in children with hearing (HI) and visual impairments (VI) compared with those without these disorders. This study featured a cross-sectional design with subjects (N = 45) placed within one of three equally stratified purposive groups (HI, VI, and comparison) within the age range of 9-13years (mean = 11.43, SD = 1.5). Balance recovery strategy was measured in static and after-perturbation conditions by a four-camera Vicon system used to record three-dimensional lower body kinematic data. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (3 × 2, Group × Condition) was utilized to analyze data. Significance was set at p ≤ .05. In the static condition, the results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between the groups in the ankle joint sway (p > .05). In hip joint sway, VI children had greater sway compared with comparison (p = .001) and HI children (p = .02). Also, HI children had greater sways than comparison (p = .02). In the after-perturbation condition, the results showed that VI children had greater sway in the hip and ankle joints than HI children (p = .001) and comparison (p = .001) to restore and maintain balance. It seems that comparison as well as higher proportion VI children use a hip strategy to maintain and restore balance. Also, it seems that HI children use a different strategy (ankle strategy) to maintain and restore balance compared with comparison and VI children.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HEARING RECOVERY IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION AFTER VENTILATION TUBE INSERTION.

The objective was to determine the range of hearing improvement (in dB) post ventilation tube insertion in children with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME), and whether there was a difference in hearing improvement between age groups and genders. This study also investigated whether there was a difference in the mean hearing improvement between the left and right ear, how many months passed before recovery of eustachian tube function, and how long the aeration of the middle ear lasted. The children included in the study were between six and twelve years of age, diagnosed with COME by audiological processing (type B tympanometric recording and conductive hearing loss up to 40 dB on pure tone audiometry) and underwent surgical insertion of ventilation tubes in both ears. Patient data included preoperative tympanometric records, preoperative and postoperative tone audiometry findings, tubometry findings 6 and 10 months after insertion of ventilation tubes, age and gender data, and length of time during which the tubes were in place. The mean hearing improvement of the included patients was 24.2 dB on the right ear and 24.5 dB on the left ear. There was no statistically significant difference between the left and right ear or between the genders. Older age groups had a higher mean hearing improvement compared with the younger age group. Younger age groups had a longer expected period of eustachian tube function recovery, and were expected to have ventilation tubes inserted for a longer period of time. Treatment with ventilation tube insertion resulted in significant improvement in hearing in children where previous conservative therapy failed to recover eustachian tube function and improve hearing. Although children of older age groups had greater preoperative hearing impairment, the recovery of both eustachian tube function and hearing improvement was faster, and the mean length of time that the ventilation tubes had to be inserted was shorter.

Results and patient satisfaction from an early access infant hearing detection clinic.

National recommendations in the United States specify that all infants with hearing impairment should be identified by 3 months of age. Infants who fail universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) require follow up testing after hospital discharge. Follow up testing may be difficult to obtain in some communities within the ideal time frame. A rapid access multidisciplinary clinic was established for failed UNHS. The objective of this study is to report outcomes and patient satisfaction from an early access hearing detection clinic. Infants that failed UNHS were seen in the multidisciplinary clinic between 1/1/19 and 2/28/22. Patients underwent automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions testing and consulted with an otolaryngology nurse practitioner. Failed results were followed by diagnostic ABR. Surveys were administered at the beginning and end of the appointment. In total, 169 infants were seen at a mean age of 8.4 weeks (95%CI 7.5, 9.4). Repeat testing was abnormal in 38 (22.4%). Diagnostic ABR was performed at an average age of 13.7 weeks (n=34, 95% CI: 10.8, 16.6) and led to a diagnosis of hearing loss in 18 infants. Twenty-seven parents completed surveys at the initial visit. Anxiety level among patients with normal repeat testing (n=20) decreased from 1.9 to 1.2 (p=.002), while anxiety level among those with abnormal repeat testing (n=7) was not statistically different before and after (2.1 vs 2.7, p=.2). Satisfaction level was 3.7±0.7 (scored 1-4). All parents reported having a better understanding of their child's hearing problem after the visit. This novel nurse practitioner-led early hearing detection clinic enabled timely diagnosis of hearing loss and reassurance to families without hearing loss. Age at hearing loss diagnosis compares favorably to published cohorts.

The participation of mothers who are deaf in the school life of their hearing children

Resumo O desafio de entender as necessidades sociais e acadêmicas de crianças surdas no contexto educativo tem sido alvo de profunda análise na literatura, mas o mesmo não acontece em relação às mães surdas e ao desempenho do papel de responsáveis pela educação dos seus filhos. Com frequência, as mães surdas enfrentam barreiras de natureza comunicacional e atitudinal, tornando necessárias adequações na relação família-escola, de modo a lhes garantir o direito fundamental de participar nas decisões da escola e da vida escolar dos seus educandos. Assim, com este estudo pretendeu-se explorar a perspectiva de mães surdas sobre o seu envolvimento na vida escolar dos seus filhos ouvintes procurando identificar linhas de ação política e do domínio das práticas que visem a mobilização de facilitadores da relação família-escola. Para isso, realizou-se um grupo focal com 10 mães surdas, cujos filhos frequentavam o ensino básico – 1.º e 2.º ciclos –, de escolas públicas portuguesas. Os resultados sugerem que, apesar da vontade e do empenho das mães surdas para se envolverem na vida escolar dos filhos, esta participação é restringida pela forma como a comunicação e a relação família-escola está tradicionalmente estruturada. As barreiras sentidas estão associadas ao evitamento de situações de interação com a escola, acrescido da preocupação pelo desconhecimento da vida escolar dos seus filhos. A existência generalizada de intérpretes nas escolas ou a formação/capacitação da comunidade escolar para o uso de língua gestual são algumas das mudanças discutidas pelas mães surdas na consecução do seu direito à participação na vida escolar dos seus filhos.

Междуличностните отношения при глухи деца и ученици

Interpersonal relationships occupy a central place in human life. People's willingness to interact is manifested in behavior, communication, social activities. An immanent characteristic of interpersonal relationships is their emotional basis, and the foundation – the primordial need for communication. Hearing children have sufficient capacity to accumulate experience in everyday communication. They form strategies for evaluating communication partners easily and promptly. In contrast, the limitation of social contacts and the specific assimilation of social experience in deaf children and pupils forms a peculiar picture of interpersonal relations, nuanced with a number of features in their construction to which this article is devoted.